I went there in February. The hotel I stayed in had views of the mountain from the swimming pool floor. It was not unusual for people to come up to see if the cable cars were operating and then deciding to go.

We visited around midday, when the weather was sunny and the sky clear. Visiting Table mountain was a must do for us and were looking forward to see a view from so high.

We purchased our family ticket and began our ascent. The views from the cable car were spectacular. This only whetted our appetites.

Soon as we stepped of the cable and walked on table mountain and hold on. Its gone a bit chilly, and whats this. Its clouds and its blocking the view, I cannot see anything because of the cloud cover.

But it was clear a second ago!

That's how quickly the tablecloth can cover the mountain.

Its nice to take one of the walks around the mountain, just so you hope the sky clears up.

It did at one part of the mountain allowing me to take some pictures.

The gift shop is a good place to go if you want to keep warm. Especially if you one of these people who neglected to bring a coat or sweater in case the weather turns chilly, and it does often, so bring a coat.

Our trip had one more surprise.

A power cut that affected Cape Town early this year. good job they have auxiliary power this does mean that the cable cars take 20 minutes or to descend.

No worry the staff did not panic and we all queued up amicably to descend and the cable car operator asked people to have a singalong to enliven the journey back down.

No journey to Cape town is complete without a trip to Table mountain, weather permitting.

It's an awesome Mountain, and i'd rate my experience Excellent otherwise, but unforunately While we were in Cape Town in August the cable car was closed for the entire duration of our stay. They always close it in the winter for maintenence, and we were unaware of this and it was very unfortunate. So make sure if you are keen on visiting this great landmark, make sure that you know that the cable car will actually be working while you are there!

If you think the views from the cable car are awesome try abseiling off the top of Table Mountain and turn yourself around halfway down to take in the view of Camps Bay and beyond. Not for the faint-hearted but if you're up for it you'll love every minute. In fact the worst bit is the walk back up to get back to the cable car station.

There's no pre-booking, just find the guy from Abseil Africa near the cable car station at the top and wait your turn.

THis is really a fabulous thing to do. The cable car closes often enough for poor weather, so if you're in Cape Town for a few days, and it's clear, go for it. The only other big attraction that's also weather-dependant is Robben Island, so if you hav ea decent patch of weather, get one of these in. You can always browse the restaurants, Cape POint, Kirstenbosch, Winelands, Boulders, Malls, District 6 later, when it's raining :)

But I digress - Table Mountain is a fabulous way of getting your bearings, and it's lovely if you can go up soon after a long flight, as the cool sea air is refreshing after a lot of hot dry aeroplane air. The cable cars are great - circular and roomy, and they rotate slowly as they rise, so it doesn't matter too much which side you're on. Just be sure to stand near one of the glass walls, so you don't get herded in to the middle, far away from a window, as people crowd in at the end. The trip is short, and not in the least scary.

On top is a decent enough self-service restaurant, and lots of space to wander about, loking down on the city and on RObben Island. It's got a real mountain feel, but lots of sea air, and is a wonderful antidote to the sometimes plastic rush of other city attractions. Bring a light rain jacket though. The cloud can often drape itselve prettily over the top, which is a tad damp if you happen to be on the top when it happens :)